WASHINGTON (AP) In less than five months, Oct. 12
is the best guess, a child's birth will push the world's population to 6 billion.

The new benchmark comes 12 years after the last
billion. It took 13 years for the billion before that. The United Nations is looking for
slower growth over the next century, but some demographers now think the 7 billion mark
could come even more quickly.

Median U.N. projections say it will take 14 years
to add another billion people. Population projections, however, have become more complex
than ever, with birth and death rates varying widely from region to region, the impact of
AIDS, advances in population programs and longer life expectancies.

The United Nations will mark the birth of the 6
billionth child on Oct. 12.

There are no plans to pinpoint who the child will
be or where he or she will be born, but chances are the 6 billionth world citizen will be
born a boy in the Third World.

About 105 males are born for every 100 females
worldwide. Other factors weigh in later on in determining the population, including higher
infant death rates among males and longer life expectancy for females. The latest data
shows about 50.4 percent of the world's population is male, but in the industrialized
world, 51.6 percent of the population is female. In the United States, women outnumber men
51-49.

Worldwide, population now is increasing at 1.4
percent a year. Carl Haub of the Population Reference Bureau said Wednesday that just a
slight change in fertility or mortality now could make a huge difference in world
population figures over the next century.

``If we miss just a little bit on the projections,
we could end up with 7 billion by the fastest rate ever,'' Haub said. The median
projection that it will take longer to reach the next billion is based on the idea that
fertility rates worldwide will drop to two children per woman. The current rate is 2.9.

For the long haul, though, demographers don't
expect percentage population increases to spiral ever upward.

``We've just gone through a demographic century
that I don't think will ever be equaled,'' said Haub at a news conference releasing the
independent, non-advocacy research group's 1999 World Population Data Sheet. The sheet
notes that world population in the 20th century increased by 4.4 billion, more than 300
percent growth.

Haub said population increases in the next century
could accelerate in some countries, but the worldwide pattern will vary, with growth
occurring almost exclusively in less developed countries. Industrialized nations, which
doubled their population in the 20th century, will grow slowly or not at all, he said.

Europe, in fact, is likely to lose population over
the next 100 years.

The data sheet predicts that more than half the
world's population growth in the next half century will occur in Asia, with one-third in
Africa. It includes figures for each country on population, fertility, mortality, age,
life expectancy, contraceptive use and income, with a separate chart on population
density.

(Infobeat News, http://www.infobeat.com)

____________________

This came in answer to my question of when the 666 number
would be reached in regards to world population:

"It looks like the population growth is roughly
linear since this billion took 12 years, the previous took 13 year and the next will be 14
years. We have been used to logarithmic rates of increase. If it has leveled off as this
article says, then to add 660,000,000 (total 6,660,000,000) would be 66/100X12 years or 8
years or Oct. 2007."

July 19, 1999

CENSUS BUREAU ESTIMATES 6 BILLIONTH PERSON The US Census Bureau estimated that the planet's six billionth person was born
sometime last weekend. Their PopClock of current estimated world population is online at http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

Seven minus one, i.e., man's coming short of perfection;
the human number; the number of MAN as destitute of God, without God, without Christ...man
was created on the sixth day, and thus he has the number six impressed upon him. Moreover,
six days were appointed to him for his labour; while one day is associated in sovereignty
with the Lord God, as His rest.

Six, therefore, is the number of labour also, of man's
labour as apart and distinct from God's rest. True, it marks the completion of Creation as
God's work, and therefore the number is significant of secular completeness.

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